Santa Rosa Beach, FL Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 29% of Santa Rosa Beach's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of October 2026.
As of October 2026, we analyzed 727 active for-sale homes in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The typical listing is priced at $999,000 and is projected to generate about $81,450 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 28.7% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — below the 53.1% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Santa Rosa Beach #173 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Santa Rosa Beach sit a median of 96 days on the market, and 22% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a slower-moving market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — Santa Rosa Beach runs tighter once operating costs are accounted for: many listings need a below-median price, a stronger short-term-rental setup, or more money down before the income covers the payment. It's a market where running the numbers property-by-property matters.
What actually works in Santa Rosa Beach
Cash-flow is the exception rather than the rule in Santa Rosa Beach right now: 63 of the 554 Santa Rosa Beach homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $765,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250k–$350k | — | — | 92%1.46 | — | — |
| $350k–$500k | 0%0.89 | 5%0.84 | 45%1.22 | — | — |
| $500k+ | 0%0.81 | 4%0.78 | 3%0.78 | 7%0.74 | 15%0.77 |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
Santa Rosa Beach in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 727 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $999,000 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $81,450 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $476 |
| Median occupancy | 49% |
| Median beds | 4 |
| Median size | 2,117 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 28.7% |
| Median days on market | 96 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 21.6% of active |
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Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
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